Starting the process for grs

[Amj12986]

Hello everyone,

    My name is Audrey. I am a 30. Y/o mtf trans woman. I have some questions about grs that I hope I can have answered. The first thing I'd like to say is that I have been on hrt and doing the rlt for over a year now. I just recently scheduled my consult for the surgery. My consult appointment is on September 5th. Ok now that some background info has been provided, here are my questions

1.   Has anyone ever heard anything about or personally had their surgery at the mount Sinai transgender center in New York City? What really caught my eye about them is that they apparently work with and consult with dr bowers whom I am given to understand is a very skilled dr in this area. If you wouldn't mind sharing any stories or experiences I would love to hear them in regards to this place.

2. I have never had any kind of surgery and I am so nervous about it. I guess the main thing being about anesthesia. I cannot stand the thought of not having control over my body or being put to sleep, it just freaks me out but I am willing to do it for this. What is it like to be put under anesthesia? What does it feel like waking up afterwards? How long before it completely wears off and things are normal?

3. After the surgery, how did you feel both physically and emotionally? I imagine it would physically feel a kin to being hit by a train, but I guess just some personal experiences shared would be nice, not to scare me but so I know what to expect and prepare for it. How did you feel upon waking up and knowing and seeing that things were normal down there? 

4. How long of a process was it from start to finish (i.e. From initial consult to waking up from surgery)? I don't for see any issues getting approved for it as I said I have been being seen and treated for years for everything, been through my rlt, and hold an excellent job for the state of New York with very good insurance ( empire plan blue cross blue shield). I know it's not something I should rush but I am just excited to be able to have the surgery and heal and feel complete.

5. I know it will take some time to heal fully and swelling to go away, but about how long after the surgery should I expect there to be bleeding? How much does it usually bleed after you are sent home? And what practices and things helped to deal with it all and aid in healing? 

I know a lot of these questions are probably "it depends" and "ymmv" , but I guess just some info based off of others experience would help to demystify the process and help me remain calm throughout the whole ordeal. Thank you so much in advance.

                                             Best regards,

                                              Audrey

[TexasLibraryLady]

The questions I can answer I will try.

Having anesthesia doesn't feel much like anything. Usually the guy comes in, either tells you he's starting it, or the put a breathing mask over you and ask you to count from 10. Ususally you are out before 5. Next thing you know you are awake and it's over.

Personally, I was pretty out of it my first day, but not in pain. I'm sure I had something in my IV. By the 2nd day I felt pretty normal. I never took any of the pain pills they gave me. You'll want to limit walking for a few days, which will be awkward anyway. For me I didn't see the results for a week. I wondered how it would feel when I saw it. My best reaction is I felt normal.

I did not have any bleeding. 

[VickySGV]

My post Op entry's begin with this post back in 2013, Marci Bowers was my surgeon as you can see in my signature.  This topic is archived but you can get a glimpse of what happened to me back then, which I think will answer a lot of your questions

https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/52994-greetings-from-san-mateo-ca/

This is another one in the series that almost got a little out of hand, but if it gives you a smile and helps the worrying, that is why I wrote it and others.

https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/53849-always-_______-never______while-dilating/

[JodyAnn]

I can't imagine doing that with a local! Eeew! My surgery was scheduled for noon that got pushed back to two something. As they wheeled me down I was humming the song from TransAmerica. Five ish I woke in recovery. By six I was comfortable in my room with a basketball stuffed between my legs. More morphine please? I stayed spun up all week. In Monday morning, out on Friday afternoon after I proved I could pee on my own.

Late the second day they had the basketball off. Right after I was up to go to the bathroom. That was enough for one day. The next day I was jonesing for coffee and cigarettes, I was on the run for the rest of the week. I was all over the hospital, coffee shop, outside, after while they stopped keeping tabs on me. They knew I would be back. More morphine please!

They moved me to my hotel Friday night and from there I owned Thong Lo Bangkok for two and a half more weeks. I walked everywhere in my little corner of the city. Got a really cool tattoo too. I bleed strong for almost two weeks. I didn't use another drug after my hospital flight.

My first dialation felt like I was impaled by a telephone pole. It gets easier each time. It was all a very small price to fix my problem and be just like all my thousands of girlfriends in derby. So much better than in between. Asia was the trip of my lifetime. If you need it go for it. From there you pass over the one way tire grate. DO NOT BACK UP! Enjoy your journey it is a life changing event.

[Jani]

I've always been a little nervous about anesthesia but really it's no big deal.  After the IV is in, one minute I'm talking with the nurses, then I'm in recovery.  I was alert and totally back in control soon afterwards.  

Physically I was not in any great pain.  A little soreness from the numbness wearing off around the surgery area.   Bleeding was minimal.  Getting use to the new way of relieving myself was a learning process.   Emotionally I was fine also.  I had already moved on mentally.  I told my sister I didn't feel different.  My best friend had told me before I travelled that the hard part was over and this was just frosting on the cake.  He was right.  I have healed quickly, more so than I expected which is good.  My clothes fit great!

From when I decided to come out and see a therapist to my surgery date was 22 months.  Your timeline may vary.   This is how I was meant to be.

Jani

[MarcieMarie12]

Question 4: My consult was in March and my surgery is August 1st. 

Question 5:A month or two.

This may have some other answers for you about post-op life: